


Back at it Again

by Onetruebirb



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Ancient magic, Banter, Bickering, Bodyswap, Friends to ?, relics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29386233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onetruebirb/pseuds/Onetruebirb
Summary: Research goes wrong as a relic causes Starscream and Knockout to be trapped in each others frames with no clear way to get back.
Relationships: Starscream/Knockout
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	Back at it Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the Cybertronian Card Exchange, this one is for Melon (quadrilioquy)

The Orb sat before them on a pedestal cradled on a dished plate emanating a sort of sickly glow from its opalescent surface, which seemed to move as though it were alive with some sort of energy barely held back inside of its shell. Just being near it made Starscream’s plating crawl and he purposefully stepped away from the pedestal to observe one of the monitors along the wall in the exam room Knockout and he had squirreled themselves out of the way of prying optics. 

Not that they were doing anything wrong, no of course not, they were inspecting the relic that had been dug up only a few days prior. It didn’t matter that Starscream wanted to be the first one to figure out what this mystery relic did before anyone else, though he would concede to Knockout’s assistance in researching it. Knockout could always be persuaded in the right direction if needed. 

“Creepy little thing, isn’t it?” Knockout commented from the other side of the room not bothering to turn to look at Starscream from where he was typing away at one of the stations calibrating some equipment. 

Starscream made a noncommittal noise as he returned to the Orb and picked it up turning the sphere in his palms. It wasn’t overly large since it fit neatly in the palm of one servo and it hardly weighed a thing far enough that if Starscream tossed it up it fell back down slowly to land back in his palm. More like a bubble than any sort of material he knew about and it gave off a slight tingling sensation to any part of him that was in close contact with it. 

Out of the corner of his optic he caught the flash of glossy, cherry red plating as Knockout came over with a datapad in his servo. He stopped to make a few notes on his data pad before he looked up at the Orb in Starscream’s servo. 

“Have you noticed anything more I should log?” Knockout asked making optic contact with Starscream.

“Not since our initial report. Strange how light it is.” Starscream said holding the Orb out to Knockout. 

As his digits closed over the Orb to pluck it from Starscream’s palm Knockout felt the pads of his digits tingle on contact and his vision blurred around the edges. Starscream seemed equally affected as his wings pitched down along his back and Knockout blinked rapidly to try and clear his vision and even went as far as resetting his optical components to try and fix the problem. All Knockout could see when his optics booted back up was the grey of the walls and the light flare blocking out most of the figure in front of him making them a smudge of red in the smear of input. 

He didn’t have too long to let his mind wander as he started to tip back and he flailed, the Orb getting launched into the air as Starscream recoiled and Knockout heard his own voice shouting his name as he stumbled to get his bearings. That was impossible though he wasn’t talking and that voice definitely wasn’t coming from inside his helm. He felt like he had been put on stilts and he ended up gripping the edge of the pedestal with his legs splayed to the side holding on for dear life to stop his pedes from slipping out from under him. Knockout felt incredibly wrong as he finally managed to open the manual controls for his optics only to find an incredibly complicated array of commands that seemed, from his panicked check, to control every single optic component independently. It was an amazingly advanced visual input system but at the moment Knockout just needed his optics to focus so he could see what was going on.

When he had recoiled Starscream had backed into a rolling cart sending it clattering to the ground along with him as his world turned upside down and he crashed down onto his aft feeling, like gravity had been decreased. He could immediately tell something was wrong but he couldn’t place it, there was just a sense of malaise stretching through his too light frame and he groaned. 

Something was wrong with his optical feed as it lacked the crisply toggled perfection he was used to. Things didn’t have the same definition to them and he internally cursed hoping something hadn’t broken, it was almost impossible to find good replacement parts for his frame type while they were stuck here on earth. Until they got a spacebridge up and working Starscream would prefer to avoid any detrimental injuries to his person if he could have his way.

He closed his optics for a moment and cycled a vent but even that felt wrong. Wrong filtration and the rush of air sounded strange to his audials. Everything got a whole lot stranger for Starscream when he opened his optics back up, accepting for the moment that his optical feed was fragged and he would just have to deal with it later. That would teach him to go handling relics without proper protection in place. 

The surreal feeling of having an out of body experience flooded through Starscream as he saw himself clinging to the pedestal that the Orb had been on. All of his thoughts crashed to a halt as he tried to make sense of the spectacle in front of him.Starscream looked down at himself in a fit of panic that only surged higher when he saw that he was very clearly not in his own frame anymore and by the colour of the plating glaring back at him appeared to be in Knockout’s frame.

“What in Pit?” Starscream spoke in Knockout’s cushioned voice and he recoiled at the sound of it coming from him.

It was all too apparent what had occurred and at the same time so absolutely ridiculous that Starscream struggled to process it even with the proof right there in front of him looking, absolutely distressed in a way that disgusted him to see on his frame. Grimacing he pushed himself up to his pedes, wavering slighting as he figured himself out and got his balance feeling all out of sorts as he struggled to process the environmental input that was being fed to him in a completely unfamiliar way.

None of the information he got was faulty in any way it was just that Starscream had never had to interpret that type of data internally and even though this frame seemed to understand what to do with it he was still struggling to wrap his processor around what was going on. Transitioning into a new frame wasn’t an automatic adjustment after all and this certainly wasn’t the average frame upgrade that any bot could get. This was something entirely unprecedented and Starscream wasn’t sure how to deal with it. One thing he was at least certain of was that he needed to figure out what was going on with his flight frame.

Staggering over to the pedestal, Starscream looked over his flight frame clinging to it with its wings quivering uncontrollably. If he was right in his assumptions then Knockout would be piloting his frame, the alternative thought of Knockout being completely gone and this frame being used by some unknown energy did cross his mind but he set that potential problem aside for now until he knew for sure. 

“Knockout?” Starscream called as he stepped around the pedestal, taking a chance to look over his frame from the outside in this odd turn of events.

“Starscream? I’m having some sort of...optical input issue, there’s just...so many settings? What’s going on?” Knockout asked, looking in Starscream’s direction by the sound of his pedesteps against the floor. 

Of course Knockout would be having issues, Starscream’s optics were designed to read the entire environment and give him precise data back. It must look like an incredible mess to someone who wasn’t used to seeing it. 

“Okay, just relax, I’m going to plug in and fix them, just hold still.” Starscream told him, taking a moment to figure out how to release the connecting cable from the joint in his wrist and picking up Knockout’s arm. Moving it up to separate the pating under his arm joint so he could access the ports hidden there.

“I’m not sure I’m okay with this…” Knockout said unsteadily, and despite not being able to see he still did a very good job of side eyeing Starscream.

“I don’t care, we need to figure this out and for that to happen I need you functional.” Starscream hissed, freaked out hearing Knockout’s inflection spoken in his own voice., and he plugged into the port. 

Immediately breaking through his own firewalls and protection to access his optical setting and turning them all off except for the most basic ones. He did the same for the rest of his more advanced setting just to make sure Knockout wouldn’t run into something that would be too unusual for him. After all he didn’t want Knockout screwing around with his frame and messing things up. 

“There, was that so bad?” Starscream huffed shaking his helm as he unplugged and tucked the cable back in its housing. 

Letting Knockout go, Starscream stepped back and let him get his bearings. Watching him blink a few times as he took in the world around him and he finally pushed back from his death grip on the pedestal to take a look at Starscream in shock and then down at his current frame absolutely bewildered. 

“What in Primus’ name happened?” Knockout asked as he looked back at Starscream while the jet picked the Orb up from where it had landed on the floor and he set it back in the dish and brought the glass cover down over it to contain the relic. 

“Well..Despite the ridiculousness of the situation it would appear we’ve somehow swapped frames. I’m not sure how that’s possible or how it happened but we need to figure out how to make it unhappen.” Starscream frowned, placing his servos against the glass as he narrowed his optics at the Orb glowing softly inside. 

Knockout jerked as his comm came to life and Starscream whirled to look at him, each of their expressions matching desperate shock.

“What do I do!” Knockout squeaked, clenching his fists and looking at Starscream for an answer. 

“Answer it, just pretend you’re me, okay?” He responded, hoping that had been the right answer. If it was Megatron he had to answer it or he would get suspicious and come down and find out what had happened down here and while it wasn’t exactly their fault they were the ones responsible for the issue and he didn’t want to take the brunt of that. 

Knockout nodded furiously and answered the call, it instantly routed to his internal system so Starscream could only hear one side of it. Much to his frustration. 

“Lord Megatron, what can I help you with?” Knockout answered, his voice taking on an almost mocking sultry purr and Starscream couldn’t decide if he was offended but he was pretty sure he was. 

“Oh...yes of course...yes, right away...I will….yes...no, no everything’s fine...weird? Me? No...okay be there soon.”

Knockout ended the call and looked at Starscream in a panic. “We have to go meet Megatron on the bridge and I am not a good actor, Starscream, you saw that. He already knows something is up, he's going to be looking for things to criticize me about.” 

“Well it isn’t like we just can’t go, if we stay here he’s just going to come down.” Starscream countered. 

“Yes but if he finds out what happens he’s going to blame us, more likely you if history stays its course. Which once he realizes what has happened he’ll know you’re in  _ my _ frame and that’s the frame he’ll kick the slag out of.” Knockout hissed, “I don’t want my frame all fragged up, Starscream so please keep that in mind.”

Knockout sounded livid but Starscream just raised a brow at him and rolled his optics, “It’s not like you can’t just buff yourself up again, don’t be a petrorabbit, are you afraid of Megatron?”

Starscream’s lips cracked into a sneer and crossed his arms and stared down Knockout as the seconds of his challenge slowly ticked by until Knockout rolled his optics..

“Tsch, absolutely not.” Knockout huffed setting his servos on his hips, the cant of his wings saying a whole lot otherwise to Starscream though but he let it slide. No sense harassing Knockout before he had to go and put on a performance. 

“Let’s go then, you don’t want to keep Megatron waiting.” Starscream waved his servo for Knockout to follow and strode forward. 

Slapping the panel to open the door out of the room and into the rest of the ship. Slowly adjusting to the odd stride that Knockout’s frame followed. His hips swaying side to side as to avoid sliding his armor together and scuffing the highly polished paint job. It was a little ridiculous but it was uncomfortable to try and walk the way he did in his normal frame since he didn’t have to balance and account for his wings or thrusters at the moment. 

Behind him Starscream could hear the tap-tap-tap of Knockout trotting along behind him struggling to toddle along on his heels as he tried to figure out how to move in Starscream’s lanky frame that was so different from his own. It would have been more amusing to watch if they weren’t on their way to see a very intolerant Megatron that would want an update on their progress with the relic and they didn’t have anything to tell him except that they had somehow managed to end up in each others frames with no idea how to get back into their original bodies. Starscream was seriously worried he was going to be in a pile of scrap the moment all of this would come to light. 

Knockout caught up to Starscream’s side as they got to the large doors to the bridge and they slid open without either of them having to prompt them and they traded a look that said they both knew that Soundwave was watching them through the cameras in the hallway. 

Without hesitating any further they walked into the bridge and the sound of terminals running and the hum of electronics filled the air. Starscream was used to the sound of Eradicon’s tick tacking away on consoles down below while Megatron or more usually Soundwave, oversaw from the raised platform where both of them were currently waiting for Starscream and Knockout to join them. 

Somehow Megatron felt even more intimidating when Starscream was in an unfamiliar frame and maybe that was because he didn’t have access to his usual weapons or maybe it was because this entire scenario depended on Megatron being in one of his rare decent moods for even a hint of a positive outcome to happen. As they drew near to the pair at the end of the bridge near the main console Starscream swallowed down his fear even as Megatron’s imposing grey form began to tower over them both as the large mech came over to them. Looking down at both of them with optics of smouldering red coals. 

“”Lord Megatron.” Knockout spoke up, his voice a high imitation of Starscream and he had to bite his glossa to avoid from biting out a scathing remark about how he absolutely did not sound like that. 

“Yes, Starscream, what news do you have on the relic.” He asked, his helm tipping to the side and those clever optics gliding over Starscream’s frame, devouring the details before turning to do the same to Knockout’s cherry red plating.

“Well, we haven’t been able to determine its exact source of power but it seems to be a self sufficient entity. It’s actually  _ living _ in a sense. St-Knockout and I were just about to run a neural scan before we were called up.” Knockout told Megatron in what started out as a terrible impression but quickly became a terribly good impression of Starscream’s usual cadence. 

“Mm I see.” Megatron turned towards Starscream, “You agree with Starscream? Do you think this relic is worth investigating further?”

Starscream felt paralyzed and the words caught in his throat as he tried to make his voice work to sound like Knockout as he desperately tried to remember the way Knockout talked to sound natural. If he didn’t pull this off them Megatron might try to pull the plug on this whole operation and that would make it almost impossible to get what they needed to be able to reverse this curse. It was a lot of pressure to place on his shoulders and he sucked in a vent before he opened his mouth to speak hoping for the best. 

“I do, Lord Megatron, the Orb has certain properties about it that may help solve our energy crisis. If we can find a way to tap into that regenerating power perhaps we could use it to power the mechanics of the ship and anything else that isn’t directly energon fueled.” Starscream answered, hoping that he sounded convincing enough for Megatron tro gloss over anything that wasn’t exactly standard. 

“If that’s the case I can continue to spare both of you to research this relic but time is of the essence. I can’t have either of you holed up in a room when there is work to be done out here.” Megatron told them both sternly and Starscream could tell that even though he wasn’t being hostile that there was a barely restrained aggression boiling just below the surface. 

Knockout clasped his servos in front of him, the sound catching both Starscream and Megatron’s attention. 

“If you agree then we will be returning to our station to get this thing figured out.” Knockout said turning on his heel without being dismissed in a way that made Starscream proud of just how observant Knockout really was. Not that he would ever admit that to the other mech but he could think it to himself. 

Starscream saw Megatron roll his optics and he nodded with his helm in the direction Knockout had gone, dismissing Starscream enough to let him scamper off after Knockout’s long legged strides. Catching up to him at the door to the hall and as the thick doors hissed back shut behind them they let out a sigh of relief in unison. 

“I can’t believe we made it back out in one piece.” Knockout shook his helm looking over at Starscream. 

“Oh for sure, we just happened to catch him when he was in a half decent mood but if we don’t get this thing figured out by the next time he calls us up I doubt he’ll be so lenient.” Starscream frowned. Stepping quickly down the hall as though every half second saved in step would somehow save the day in the end.

Knockout didn’t have a problem keeping up to him now that he had figured out how to balance and walk in Starscream’s frame.

“You know this whole thing is absolutely bizarre, I never thought I would be inside you...your frame...however you want to think about this.” Knockout pondered as they traversed the multitude of pathways and channels back to the room they were working in. 

“Ugh, please, don’t make me think about any more than I already am.” Starscream sneered, “I’m not a fan of this and I do not want to be stuck in a ground frame for the rest of my existence.” 

Knockout shot him a look, “It’s not that bad, I’m sure if you got the chance to get out on the road and feel the road racing beneath your tires and the wind flowing over your frame as you tear down the highway. The terrain whipping past as you leave everything behind in a cloud of dust.”

“I can already go fast, a lot faster than you, in the air. I don’t need to race on a highway to know what speed is like.” Starscream countered, hitting the panel to open the door back to the room they were using as their lab. 

“It’s different when you’re on the ground, I’m sure you know what it’s like when you hit the runway and everything is speeding by? Well something like that but constantly.” Knockout tried to explain, “It’s a rush.”

Starscream mulled it over for a moment the idea certainly was interesting and he was tempted to find out what it was like to be in a ground frame despite his vehement protests against them he had never been in a ground frame before. If he were ever going to voluntarily put himself in an earth bound frame it would probably be a sleek racers frame like Knockout’s. Again he wouldn’t admit it to Knockout but his frame was styled in a way that appealed the Starscream’s sense of aesthetic. The lines and contours of his plating were smooth and angular in a way that led his optics along the framework in an artful way that was doubled when he was in his alt-mode and the plating all lined up to form a sleek racing machine. 

“Regardless of what it is, it isn’t important.” Starscream marched over to the Orb and stared at it through the glass of the containment chamber.

“What should we do?” Knockout joined him in regarding the glowing sphere resting in its dish.

“Like Pit if I know, I hardly know how we got here in the first place.” Starscream huffed opening up the chamber. 

“Maybe we should just pick it up and hold it together again?” Knockout suggested and really Starscream didn’t have much of a better idea. 

“Yeah maybe.” He didn’t move to pick it up though. 

Neither of them did as they just looked at the Orb waiting for the other to make a move and finally Starscream broke and sighed.

“This is ridiculous.” He snapped, reaching out and snatching it up, holding his servo out to Knockout, “Touch it.”

Knockout raised a brow not looking quite convinced and it was almost a comical look with how well he expressed the feeling on Starscream’s features. Sighing, he placed his servo over Starscream’s and rested his palm on the Orb. The tingling sensation started to spread as soon as he touched it and it continued to vibrate through his servo and up his arm. He wouldn’t exactly consider it an unpleasant sensation but it was certainly odd. Looking across at his own frame he saw a frown form as nothing seemed to happen.

“What were we doing when it happened, maybe we need to recreate the situation.” Starscream grumbled, tapping his pede against the floor. 

“We were just talking and you were passing it to me. It wasn’t anything special.” Knockout reminded him as Starscream pulled the Orb back and held it up to look at it. 

“What do you want you little slagger.” Starscream growled and then his optics shot wide open. The red irises dilating and then snapping into focus on the Orb, “It’s laughing at me!”

Starscream shoved the Orb into Knockout’s servos and he fumbled as he tried to keep a hold on the lighter than air object. 

“What do you mean it laughed at you?” Knockout asked once he managed to get the Orb back in the dish and he pulled the containment hood back down and sealed the chamber.

Starscream was rubbing his forearm and wrist when Knockout looked back at him and he caught the baffled look that was shot in his direction. 

“I don’t know! I mean I felt it through my servo, through that feeling I just knew it was laughing. You were right, it is a living thing and it’s fragging with us!”

Knockout frowned looking between the Orb that had now begun to hover just a little bit above the dish as though it were peeking over the rim of the chamber to see what was going on outside. 

“Okay, well…” Knockout honestly didn’t know what to say, he had nothing constructive to add to this situation, “Frag…”

“ _ Frag _ is right!” Starscream screeched having no problem reaching his regular pitch through Knockout’s voxcoder. 

“Maybe it can be reasoned with, if it laughed at you that means it is a sentient creature. We just have to convince it to change us back.” Knockout said turning his servos palm up in offering as it may somehow calm Starscream down. 

“I highly doubt a slagging orb can be reasoned with!” Starscream huffed, marching away to go rummage through the closet and by the sound of things crashing and clanging around in there Knockout was worried about what he might emerge with. 

“Come on now, just take a moment and think. I know this is a strange situation but we can work through it.” Knockout called out to Starscream as the noise abruptly cut off and Starscream reemerged from the closet with a box of sharp utensils.

“Oh we’ll work it out alright.” Starscream grinned, picking up the rolling cart and dumping the box out on top of it before tossing the box across the room.

“Alright now-”

“No bot has ever said I was a reasonable mech and I don’t intend to start now.” Starscream told him matter of factly, “Think of it as science.”

He picked up a sharp looking pair of pincers in his servo and clicked them together as he reached for the button to unlock the chamber but Knockout covered it before he could press it. 

“Alright, look I understand the idea you’re going for but I don’t think just stabbing this thing is a good idea. First off we have no idea what will happen and now that we know it’s sentient we don’t know what it’s capable of. Apparently swapping our frames was child's play to it.” Knockout argued. Giving Starscream a firm look and the other mech locked optics with him as he attempted to stare him into submission.

“Fine, whatever.” Starscream huffed dropping the pincers back on the tray and stepping back leaving Knockout to uncover the button with a sense of relief, “Figure something out then or I will dissect this thing until it changes us back. I don’t want to have to tell Megatron about this incident.”

“Neither do I but I’m also not going to risk blowing up the whole ship or planet for that matter.” Knockout scolded but Starscream just smirked at him. Somehow managing to convey exactly what he felt on Knockout’s features. 

“You have no sense of adventure, Knockout, and that’s why you’re so boring.” Starscream shrugged.

The wings on Knockout’s borrowed frame lifted high in anger even as he tried to tamp it down and restrain himself. Arguing with Starscream wasn’t going to help them find an answer but it was so tempting it was hard to hold himself back. 

“I have a sense of self preservation which is more than I can say for anyone else in the room.” Knockout shot back. 

Starscream seemed unaffected by the comment as he just snorted a laugh and sauntered over to one of the consoles to begin chipping away at the keyboard, looking up at the screen every couple of seconds to check what he was doing. Knockout purposefully went to a console on the other side of the room just so he wouldn’t have to be next to Starscream as he started to log what had happened since they had been back. For a blessed few minutes there was silence between them and nothing but the hum of the ship's engines vibrating through the hull in its ambient every present noise. 

“Knockout you need to see this.” Starscream’s words in his voice came sharp and cutting through the cloud of silence that Knockout had begun to settle into while he worked. 

Turning he passed the pedestal on his way over to Starscream who was staring intensely at the charts displayed before him on the screens. 

“What’s going on?” Knockout asked as he looked at the charts seeing a whole lot of information but not exactly sure what he was looking for. 

“Can’t you tell?” Starscream scoffed raising a digit to point out some colliding data on one of the graphs and then another and another.

“Uhm, I see wavelengths starting to sync up...Starscream, what data is this?” Knockout looked over at him suddenly. 

“These are our most recent spark frequency scans. You know every one is unique to every mech.” Starscream traced one of the lines, “This is yours, mine, and the residual energy left in the frames.”

Knockout squinted as he followed the time stamped graphs and the projection charts that showed the eventual sync up of the frequencies in the future.

“Oh frag…” Knockout mumbled, “What does that mean though?”

Starscream threw up his servos and turned around to lean on the console so he wouldn’t have to look at the monitors anymore. 

“I have no idea but I know it can’t be good. There’s no way that two beings in different frames should be able to have the same frequency and I have no idea what changing a frequency will do to a mech.” Starscream shook his helm. 

“We’re going to need help on this one aren’t we?” Knockout asked looking away from the charts and over at a very distressed Starscream in his frame. 

“I don’t want to have to ask but yes. I believe we will need to enlist some help.” Starscream conceded. 

Knockout nodded, turning his attention back to the graphs and to the date that they were supposed to all sync up on. They had just about an earth month to get this under control before the frequencies synced up and they might have a whole new world of problems. Only time would really tell. 

“Alright, well...I’ll start running every relevant test I can think of and you get in contact with Shockwave and Soundwave and loop them into what is going on. At this point it doesn’t matter if Megatron finds out or not.” Knockout instructed, “I would rather deal with his temper than find out what happens when we sync up with the frames.”

Starscream emphatically agreed with that statement and he turned towards the comm unit by the door, “Glad we see optic to optic on this matter.”

Knockout huffed a laugh as he went back to his own workstation to start queueing up a long list of tests to be performed that would hopefully give them some answers. 


End file.
